WASHINGTON -- Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald has informed my attorneys that, after 2-1/2 years, his investigation of the CIA leak case concerning matters directly relating to me has been concluded. That frees me to reveal my role in the federal inquiry that, at the request of Fitzgerald, I have kept secret.

I have cooperated in the investigation while trying to protect journalistic privileges under the First Amendment and shield sources who have not revealed themselves. I have been subpoenaed by and testified to a federal grand jury. Published reports that I took the Fifth Amendment, made a plea bargain with the prosecutors or was a prosecutorial target were all untrue.

For nearly the entire time of his investigation, Fitzgerald knew -- independent of me -- the identity of the sources I used in my column of July 14, 2003. A federal investigation was triggered when I reported that former Ambassador Joseph Wilson's wife, Valerie Plame Wilson, was employed by the CIA and helped initiate his 2002 mission to Niger. That Fitzgerald did not indict any of these sources may indicate his conclusion that none of them violated the Intelligence Identities Protection Act.

Presidential adviser Karl Rove talks with columnist Robert Novak at a party celebrating the 40th anniversary of Novaks column in June 2003. Roves button reads, Im a source, not a target. (AP)

Some journalists have badgered me to disclose my role in the case, even demanding I reveal my sources -- identified in the column as two senior Bush administration officials and an unspecified CIA source. I have promised to discuss my role in the investigation when permitted by the prosecution, and I do so now.

The news broke Sept. 26, 2003, that the Justice Department was investigating the CIA leak case. I contacted my longtime attorney, Lester Hyman, who brought his partner at Swidler Berlin, James Hamilton, into the case. Hamilton urged me not to comment publicly on the case, and I have followed that advice for the most part.

The FBI soon asked to interview me, prompting my first major decision. My attorneys advised me that I had no certain constitutional basis to refuse cooperation if subpoenaed by a grand jury. To do so would make me subject to imprisonment and inevitably result in court decisions that would diminish press freedom, all at heavy personal legal costs.

Sources signed waivers

I was interrogated at the Swidler Berlin offices on Oct. 7, 2003, by an FBI inspector and two agents. I had not identified my sources to my attorneys, and I told them I would not reveal them to the FBI. I did disclose how Valerie Wilson's role was reported to me, but the FBI did not press me to disclose my sources.

On Dec. 30, 2003, the Justice Department named Fitzgerald as special prosecutor. An appointment was made for Fitzgerald to interview me at Swidler Berlin on Jan. 14, 2004. The problem facing me was that the special prosecutor had obtained signed waivers from every official who might have given me information about Wilson's wife.

That created a dilemma. I did not believe blanket waivers in any way relieved me of my journalistic responsibility to protect a source. Hamilton told me that I was sure to lose a case in the courts at great expense. Nevertheless, I still felt I could not reveal their names.

However, on Jan. 12, two days before my meeting with Fitzgerald, the special prosecutor informed Hamilton that he would be bringing to the Swidler Berlin offices only two waivers. One was by my principal source in the Valerie Wilson column, a source whose name has not yet been revealed. The other was by presidential adviser Karl Rove, whom I interpret as confirming my primary source's information. In other words, the special prosecutor knew the names of my sources.

When Fitzgerald arrived, he had a third waiver in hand -- from Bill Harlow, the CIA public information officer who was my CIA source for the column confirming Mrs. Wilson's identity. I answered questions using the names of Rove, Harlow and my primary source.

Testified before grand jury

I had a second session with Fitzgerald at Swidler Berlin on Feb. 5, 2004, after which I was subpoenaed to appear before the grand jury. I testified there at the U.S. courthouse in Washington on Feb. 25.

In these four appearances with federal authorities, I declined to answer when the questioning touched on matters beyond the CIA leak case. Neither the FBI nor the special prosecutor pressed me.

Primary source not revealed

I have revealed Rove's name because his attorney has divulged the substance of our conversation, though in a form different from my recollection. I have revealed Harlow's name because he has publicly disclosed his version of our conversation, which also differs from my recollection. My primary source has not come forward to identify himself.

When I testified before the grand jury, I was permitted to read a statement that I had written expressing my discomfort at disclosing confidential conversations with news sources. It should be remembered that the special prosecutor knew their identities and did not learn them from me.

In my sworn testimony, I said what I have contended in my columns and on television: Joe Wilson's wife's role in instituting her husband's mission was revealed to me in the middle of a long interview with an official who I have previously said was not a political gunslinger. After the federal investigation was announced, he told me through a third party that the disclosure was inadvertent on his part.

Following my interview with the primary source, I sought out the second administration official and the CIA spokesman for confirmation.

I learned Valerie Plame's name from Joe Wilson's entry in Who's Who in America.

I considered his wife's role in initiating Wilson's mission, later confirmed by the Senate Intelligence Committee, to be a previously undisclosed part of an important news story. I reported it on that basis.

Well, it is actually Novak the bastard. I knew the second I saw his labeling of Wilson's wife as a CIA operative that he'd screwed up. That factoid was not needed for his story. The news items was How did a nut like Wilson get the gig to Niger? Well, his wife set it up for him. There was never any administration conspiracy to out the woman. The administration wanted to make clear that (a) Cheney did not send him and (b) Wilson was a fool who was then and there blasting the administration (and who was later found by the Senate to be lying through his teeth). Fair to fight back. But dumass Novak made himself the story, and caused a lot of needless trouble for many people.

In essence, you are right CtC, the primary leaker was Joe Wilson. The primary source only mentioned the wife and, it seems, almost off-handedly.

I hate the smugness of journalists and their claims to additional rights. No one has the right to an anonymous source. The first amendment has to do with the right of free speech from reprisals when one expresses oneself publicly.

I wonder what the substance of the "differed from my recollection" was all about. And doesn't Novak record his conversations?

Although I gleefully followed the DUmmie FUnnies recount of Fitzmas/Hoaxmas and the non-indictment of Karl Rove, I haven't really followed the whole Plame-Gate story very closely because I considered it so much B.S. So let me see if I have this straight - A CIA agent, Plame, who may have been covert at one time but wasn't at any pertinent times to this affair, pushed to get her husband ,Wilson, appointed to a mission to Niger to investigate whether Saddam tried to buy yellow cake. Wilson, a now well-known political activist for the left, finds nothing to the yellow cake claim (after thorough investigation conducted from his hotel lobby). (Side note-Brit intel stands behind the yellow cake claim).

When Novak revealed that Plame was Wilson's wife and a CIA agent, people got their panties in a wad because you can't reveal a CIA agent's identity, so Novak's source broke the law. Only Plame wasn't covert at the time so no law was broken. But Scooter Libby, Cheney COS, was indicted because he allegedly lied to the special prosecutor who was investigating the non-crime. Now Novak's article confirms that Rove was a corroborating source, as the prosecutor already knew and didn't consider significant. But is it news that Wilson outed his own wife? I've been hearing this for a while. Somebody set me straight on this and other pertinent details. Thanks

Didn't Novak claim that White House officials gave him Plame's name and occupation? Wasn't he asked by the CIA not to print his name. His excuse, well they weren't that insistent that I not print her name.

Seems to me that Novak and the NYSlimes of two of the same ilk.

24
posted on 07/12/2006 4:31:04 AM PDT
by OldFriend
(I Pledge Allegiance to the Flag.....and My Heart to the Soldier Who Protects It.)

"The news items was How did a nut like Wilson get the gig to Niger? Well, his wife set it up for him."

Which, if I read the FAR (Federal Acquisition Regulations) correctly and all the training I have had on the regulations would mean that she violated a federal law in getting a sole source contract for her husband. She and he should be in court for violation of a federal law, which several people have been tried, convicted and sent away for a long time for violating.

But then she and Joe are Democrats and Democrats can steal TOP Secret Documents and lie to federal Judges and commit Treason and no one seems to care.

Novak is being deliberately obtuse, but that's the way I read it as well.

He has to be in order to write his book that is unless some old FBI agent comes out and discloses himself before the book is written a la Deep Throat. I still get a laugh that Woodward and Bernstein were scooped by their own source. Ha, Ha, Ha!

27
posted on 07/12/2006 4:34:52 AM PDT
by GWB00
(Barbara Streisand barely made it out of high school.)

Wilson, a now well-known political activist for the left, finds nothing to the yellow cake claim...

Actually Wilson found that there WAS substance to the Niger yellowcake claim. And that's what he reported at the time. It was only later when it became politically expedient to do so that he started going around de-bunking his own report.

Well, it is actually Novak the bastard. I knew the second I saw his labeling of Wilson's wife as a CIA operative that he'd screwed up. That factoid was not needed for his story. The news items was How did a nut like Wilson get the gig to Niger?

So Novak was sposed to just say that 'Mrs. Wilson recommended Mr. Wilson for the mission to Niger' and leave it at that?

And wouldn't that be overlooking one of the rules of journalism...the WHO? As in, WHO is Mrs. Wilson (to have the stroke to be recommending folks for CIA missions)?

I have revealed Rove's name because his attorney has divulged the substance of our conversation, though in a form different from my recollection. I have revealed Harlow's name because he has publicly disclosed his version of our conversation, which also differs from my recollection.

The Rats will go nuts over "a form different from my recollection." Also I heard on the local news radio station (a CBS affiliate) that Novak revealed the source of the leak...it was Rove. That's all they said, nothing about Wilson, nothing about a still unknown "primary source". But then they had to move on to cover more important things like sports, weather and traffic reports. ;-)

The real story in The Wilson Affair is the documentation of partisan political maneuvering on the part of the CIA. It's not that Valerie Plame was outted, it is that the CIA was outted. And that's the real reason why people got pissy.

....Why are all they all running with this carefully crafted "analysis" by the AP? (I know, no surprise really). Who ever wrote this one stayed up all night cleaning it up just the way they wanted it.

It's the same when W picked Dick Cheney, every network, cable news outlet and Newspaper all said the same thing... he brings 'gravitas' to the ticket. I had to look it up when I first heard it. Rush frequently mentions this. They must have a 'think tank' where they (MSM) decide HOW something is reported !!!

And Wilson's CIA paymasters were grossly negligent in not requiring a written report (instead of oral debriefing) or having JW sign a confidentiality agreement. It had to be classified that CIA wanted to know about yellow cake vis a vis Iraq. How was JW freely able to spread his story, then lie about it to boot? That is totally wrong.

I wonder what the substance of the "differed from my recollection" was all about. And doesn't Novak record his conversations?

I suspect his conversation was on the phone. Recording phone conversations in DC is not legal unless both parties agree to it.

We know that Rove's attorney said Rove told the Grand Jury that "I heard the same thing!" when asked to confirm Plame being Wilson's wife and that she had gotten her husband the job.

I suspect that Novak only told the Grand Jury that Rove did not confirm that Plame was Wilson's wife who got Wilson his job. "I have heard the same thing!" is not a confirmation. So Novak then contacted Harlow who did confirm that Plame was Wilson's wife and that she got her husband the job.

Note that Novak also says his recollection of his conversation with Harlow differs from Harlow's recollection.

If Rove "Remembered" things from their converstation that Novak "Forgot", then that explains the differences.

You can not indict Rove for "Remembering" something that Novak "Forgot."

It is also likely that Harlow "Remembered" things from his conversation that Novak "Forgot."

I think Novak is just saying to both Harlow and Rove... I tried not to "Remember" anything that might have given Fitzmas a reason indict you. If Novak "didn't remember" there can be on purjury indictment for Harlow or Rove.

You have it almost right. Wilson's trip to Niger did convince him that Saddam was trying to obtain yellow cake and he told the CIA that when he returned. This was an oral debriefing. Later Wilson wrote this big op-ed article about there being no attempt by Iraq to obtain uranium. A Senate committee later found unanimously that Wilson lied in his op-ed, that he did orally report that he found paydirt in Niger. But the media routinely ignores this established fact. Very frustrating. The American MSM is simply not reliable anymore. Makes room for the blogosphere and pajamhadeen.

The real story in The Wilson Affair is the documentation of partisan political maneuvering on the part of the CIA. It's not that Valerie Plame was outted, it is that the CIA was outted. And that's the real reason why people got pissy.

That was my thought from the beginning and there was briefly some talk about learning who approved it and the process involved. Unless that is in the Commission Report I never heard anymore about it. The MSM would certainly bury it because it is their guys, leftist traitors, who would be exposed.

47
posted on 07/12/2006 5:24:51 AM PDT
by Mind-numbed Robot
(Not all that needs to be done, needs to be done by the government.)

Novak is trying to be cute. He still will not release the name of the primary source. The only thing he got from Wilsons entry in who's who is his wife's name, not her occupation.

Yes, after squinting at the article for a while, that's what I get, too. There were three sources, the primary source (not named), Rove and the CIA guy who signed a waver. After Novak heard Joe's wife was CIA, he used Who's Who to get her name.

50
posted on 07/12/2006 5:28:06 AM PDT
by prion
(Yes, as a matter of fact, I AM the spelling police)

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